“Opera in the Square” Festival Returns With a Rich Programme and Strong International Participation

The open-air festival “Opera on the Square” is returning with a rich programme and strong international participation after being initially cancelled due to a lack of funding.

Soprano Mila Mihova makes her debut in the productions “Cavalleria rusticana” and “Pagliacci”, highlighting the importance of the location and the energy of the open-air stage. She also revealed expected star guest appearances.

Mila Mihova, soprano: “We were very sad when the festival was cancelled. Especially for such a trivial reason as lack of funding. Because for us artists, culture should be a national priority. We believe that the state should take care of us. The institution should take care of us and of our cultural product, which the audience loves and seeks so much.”

By tradition, the St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a place that attracts audiences in the summer who enjoy high-quality classical music, opera and musicals. This will be the case this year as well.

Mila Mihova, soprano: “The beauty and experience, especially in such a sacred place, is truly very special, and the impression created by the cathedral behind the stage is enormous. As an artist, there are always challenges when singing outdoors. We are very dependent on weather conditions and temperatures. In the summer, especially during heatwaves, it is difficult for singers. But the energy of this place is so strong that it feels as if we are being powered by it, and something very special happens. It is a theatre built under the sky, and here we create theatre within theatre, which is truly very, very beautiful.”